Are you learning French and you feel like you're not really making progress, or not fast enough? Here are some tips to improve your French!
1. Consume more French content
The key to learning a language is repetition and immersion. If you can't fully immerse yourself in French, you should try to consume as much of it as possible. It doesn't even have to be learning-specific content. You can:
- Watch movies and series in French (especially if they are French, because the dubbing is often super formal, I don't really know why)
- Subscribe to YouTube channels that interest you (on the mine, I alternate between nerd culture videos and videos on teaching and learning French!)
- Listen to French podcasts on topics you like
- Put your video games in French
- Read more books or comics
2. Create opportunities for yourself to speak
To improve your French, it's important not only to consume but also to actively use the language! You have to create as many opportunities as possible. I know it's not always easy, so here are some ideas:
- Talk to yourself in French: in the shower, while doing the dishes or whatever, try to comment on what you are doing, to think out loud in French. It's a way to practice without pressure!
- Write your shopping list, your to-do list and all that in French
- If you know other people who are learning French, or people who speak French, ask them to chat with you from time to time! And if you speak a language that they are learning, you can do a tandem and alternate between French and the other language. There are also apps to find you a language tandem partner.
- Join a club where French is spoken! Look for French-speaking clubs that interest you, such as a cooking club, a reading club, a writing club, etc.
3. Do NOT compare yourself to others
Well, this is not really advice to improve your French, but rather to manage your trip and your progress: don't compare yourself to others, it's pointless. You have to focus on yourself and your progress. Look at where you were a few months ago, and compare with the you of today, it's this comparison that will show you your progress!
Also remember to be nice to yourself! Learning a language takes a long time, and it's normal to struggle sometimes, especially when you start to get a good level.
Finally, if you want to improve your French by speaking in a relaxed and fun atmosphere, and if you love books, then take a look at my book clubs!
